Electric socket and lamp protector



F. STOLZENWA LD.- ELECTRTC SOCKET AND LAMP PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, 1919.

Patented Apr. 13, 1920.

F/E Z INVENTU/P FT S'TJQZE/VWALD UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK STOLZENWALD, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE- HALF TO AUGUST WISSEL, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRIC SOCKET AND LAMP PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A r. 13, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK SToLznN- WALD, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Socket and Lamp Protectors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved safety device for use with electric sockets.

Serious and sometimes fatal accidents are caused in handling electric light sockets by the electric current accidentally passing through the body of the person handling the' socket. It is the object of the present invention to provide a device which will remove the danger of such accidents occurring, and will greatly diminish, if it does not entirely eliminate, the danger of breaking of the lamp socket and of the lamp itself.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is an outside perspective view of my device; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinally sectional view showing also in place a Hubbell electric lamp socket, and a wire lamp cage, the latter broken away.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a lamp socket of standard type known as the Hubbell socket, which is in two separable parts 1 l The cords 2 leading from the main enter the part 1 through its narrow end and the electric lamp is screwed into the outer end of the part 1".

My improved protector is shown at 3. It is formed of soft rubber and is in two pieces The smaller piece 3 is first placed around the part 1", and the largerv piece 3' is placed around the part 1", and'then the two parts, 1", 1 are connected in the usual manner, whereupon the pieces 3, 3 are brought together. The piece 3 has a flange extend ng inwardly over the wide end of the Hubbell socket. It has also an annular contracted portion 5 which fits in an annular groove 6 in the Hubbell socket. This groove 6 was for the purpose of receiving a ring 7 at one end of a wire cage 8 surrounding the lamp to prevent its being broken. Its place is now taken by a groove 9 around the piece 3 The piece 3 has also a wide bell-shaped flange 10 extending inwardly but at such a distance from the Hubbell socket that it can surround the cage 8. This bell-shaped flange forms a perfect protection against the passage of electricity from the interior of the Hubbell socket to a hand grasping said socket. Also it almost entirely prevents breaking the socket and the lamp.

I claim-: 1

1. A protector of elastic insulating material formed to closely surround an electric lamp socket and having at one end an opening only sufliciently wide to permit the passage therethrough of two lamp cords and an integral bell-shaped flange extending from the mediate portion of said protector.

2. A protector of elastic insulating material intwo pieces formed to closely surround respectively two parts of a separable sectional lamp socket, one piece having at one end an opening only sufficiently wide to permit the passage therethrough of two lamp cords and the other piece having an integral bell-shaped flange.

3. A protector of elastic insulating ma- 1 terial in two pieces formed to closely surround respectively two parts of a separable sectional lamp socket, one piece having at one end an opening only sufliciently wide to permit the passage therethrough oftwo lamp cords and the other piece having an integral bell-shaped flange, and an external annular groove to receive an end of a wire lamp cage.

I FREDERICK STOLZENWALD, 

